Accessory mounting means



Feb. 13, 1968 J. H. PECK ETAL ACCESSORY MOUNTING MEANS Filed sept. 22. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 13, 1968 J, H, PECK ETAL 3,368,454

ACCESSORY MOUNTING MEANS Filed sept. 22, 196e 2 sheets-sheet 2 1s-'4 NVENTORS IEW Jol-IN H.- PEcK C. WALT N MUSSER United States Patent O 3,368,454 ACCESSORY MOUNTING MEANS .lohn H. Peck, Fountain Valley, and C Walton Musser,

Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Sept. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 582,295 7 Claims. (Cl. 89-14) This invention relates to mounting means, and more particularly to accessory mounting means for a weapon having a thin walled major calibre barrel and a spotting rifle.

In a thin walled large calibre rie, a means of mounting the various accessory items, such as the tire control equipment, the spotting rifle, carrying handles, and the necessary mounting, aiming and tiring equipment, is required.

When a rifle tube thickness is reduced to provide a minimal weight weapon, it becomes ditiicult to iind a means of attachment forrthe various accessory items. For example, let us assume a 120 mm. rifle tube with the configuration of the tube designed to fully utilize one of the high strength steels. Let us further assume that the tube wall is stressed to 150,000 p.s.i. circumferential stress during the tiring of a projectile. At this level of stress the tube diameter will expand .i005 inch per inch of diameter, or, for a 120 mm. tube about .024 inch. This effectively precludes using normal means for mounting the various accessories.

If a band is placed around kthe gun tube, or barrel, it must of necessity withstand this expansion without permanent deformation. Also, it must not cause constriction or deformation of the barrel. Consequently, to use advantageously the higher physical properties of the latest developed steels (or titanium) a new means of accessory attachment must be obtained.

The accessory sleeve, to which is secured the various accessory items, obviates the above problems by having the breechward fastening at the chamber-barrel juncture where the -diametral expansion is relatively small. At the muzzle end, the contact with the `barrel is through a cylindrical portion of the sleeve that is relieved between contact points, or lands, so that the band can deflect in bending between the bearing lands, instead of dilating circumferentially, with a consequent larger deection capability.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a weapon accessory sleeve arrangement which permits deilection of a thin walled barrel of light Weight, high strength construction and in which a maximum dissipation of heat is obtained under operative conditions.

These and other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially broken away in section, of a weapon embodying the principles of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with certain parts removed for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective View of the tracking handle and its mounting means.

In the light-weight weapon shown in FIG. 1 the major calibre barrel is formed of a thin-walled, high-strength material such as recently developed steels or titanium. The substantially cylindrical accessory sleeve 11 is provided with a plurality of lateral openings 12 substantially throughout its length. The sleeve forward portion y'13 has an end bracket construction (FIG. 2) preferably welded thereto to be secured to the barrel and to support the forward position of the spotting rifle 14 by means of an adjustable support mechanism shown generally at x15 that is appropriately positioned in the bracket upper circular 3,358,454 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 ICC passage 16. The bracket lower substantially circular bore or passage 17 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, inwardly directed lugs 18 for engaging or contacting the relatively slightly undersized barrel exterior surface as the sleeve 11 is assembled upon the barrel 10.

The sleeve rearward position 20 is provided with an appropriate apertured lug construction 21 for reception of a ground mount latch means (not shown) just forward of enlarged sleeve externally threaded end 22 whose interior surface 23 is appropriately recessed to define circumferentially spaced, inwardly directed lug members 24 that non-rotationally engage a mating lug arrangement 25 on a sturdier portion 26 of the barrel 10.

Barrel portion 26 is further recessed at 27 to receive a retaining ring 2S that is also seated within locking nut 29. Preferably, ring 28 comprises two turns of a helical spring which are attened upon sleeve to barrel assembly as the nut 29 is rotated around the sleeve threaded end 22 to draw the sleeve rearwardly on the barrel to its secured FIG. 1. position.

An apertured ear portion 30 of bracket 31, preferably welded to a suitable portion of elongated sleeve 11, receives a gimbal-type pad assembly shown generally at 32 and which in turn adjustably supports the rearward portion of the spotting rifle 14.

Screw means 34 of an elbow telescope sight bracket 35 secure the telescope sight arrangement shown generally at 36 to the sleeve 11.

Tracking handle 4t) (FIGS. 1, 3) has an integral extension or key 41 and a cooperating lock member 42 that is slidably mounted in handle slideway 43. Key 41 and lock 42 are inserted in a selected sleeve opening 12 and adjustment of screw 44 in key threaded opening 45 will advance the lock 42 to a clamping position against an edge portion of the selected opening 12.

Various modifications, changes or alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a weapon having a thin walled large calibre barrel and a spotting rifle, a substantially cylindrical sleeve having a forward portion with circumferentially spaced, inwardly directed means for engaging a forward surface of said barrel and a rearward portion with internal lugs for non-rotationally engaging mating means on said barrel,

means for locking said sleeve upon said barrel,

said sleeve having a plurality of lateral surface openings substantially throughout its length,

a forward bracket extending from said sleeve forward portion and having means for supporting a forward portion of said spotting ride, and

means secured to said sleeve rearward of said bracket for supporting a rearward portion of said spotting rifle.

2. The structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein sai-d barrel has peripheral recess means, said sleeve has external threads on its rearward portion, and said locking means includes an internally threaded lock nut carrying a retaining ring which is seated in said barrel recess means.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which a tracking handle is supported in one of said openings.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein an elbow telescope sight is supported upon said sleeve.

5. An accessory mounting means for a weapon having a thin walled large calibre barrel and a spotting rifle, comprising a substantially cylindrical sleeve having a forward portion with circumferentially spaced, inwardly directed means for engaging a forward surface of said barrel and a rearward portion with internal lugs for nonrotationally engaging mating means on said barrel,

means on said rearward portion for locking said sleeve upon said barrel,

6. The structure of claim 5l in which a tracking handle is supported in one of said openings.

7. The structure of claim 5 wherein an elbow telescope sight is supported upon said sleeve.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A WEAPON HAVING A THIN WALLED LARGE CALIBRE BARREL AND A SPOTTING RIFLE, A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE HAVING A FORWARD PORTION WITH CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED, INWARDLY DIRECTED MEANS FOR ENGAGING A FORWARD SURFACE OF SAID BARREL AND A REARWARD PORTION WITH INTERNAL LUGS FOR NON-ROTATIONALLY ENGAGING MATING MEANS ON SAID BARREL, MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID SLEEVE UPON SAID BARREL, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LATERAL SURFACE OPENINGS SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHTOUT ITS LENGTH, A FORWARD BRACKET EXTENDING FROM SAID SLEEVE FORWARD PORTION AND HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A FORWARD PORTION OF SAID SPOTTING RIFLE, AND MEANS SECURED TO SAID SLEEVE REARWARD OF SAID BRACKET FOR SUPPORTING A REARWARD PORTION OF SAID SPOTTING RIFLE. 